Island of Medusa Gorgon. The most famous prison islands
Gorgon(Spanish Isla Gorgona) is volcanic island. Why volcanic? Yes, because it was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
Gorgon belongs to, and since 1985 the island has been considered a National Park. In the near 50s, there was a maximum security prison on the island. It was here that all the most dangerous criminals were sent to serve their sentences.
O-V got its name from the fact that it was a large number of all kinds of snakes. Gorgon Island was discovered in 1527, and decided to give it such a name, because such an unheard of number of snakes reminded him of a sorceress, whose name was mentioned in ancient Greek mythology. Previously, the island served as an excellent parking lot for all the ships that passed by.
In the eastern part of the Gorgon are beautiful beaches with amazing white sand, but if you go to western part islands, then there you can observe the rocky terrain. In this place, extreme tourists love to spend time jumping into the water or diving. Climatic conditions Gorgons always attract numerous guests, because here the air temperature almost never drops below 27 ° C. Despite this temperature, the air humidity here is always very high, because it rains very often on the island.
But most of all today tourists are attracted by the beauty of the local fauna and flora. Those who come to rest here from all over the world will find out that more than 155 various kinds birds, more than 15 species of mammals and about 50 species of reptiles. Admire a huge number of fantastic butterflies, which can not be seen anywhere else. Tourists, diving enthusiasts, are attracted by the indescribable beauty of the coral reef.
No matter how strange it may be, but Gorgon Island is a beautiful, and, most importantly, a very warm place, but it does not have a permanent local population. Most of the staff and guests are here. The number of tourists on the island, of course, is limited: no more than 150 people can be here at the same time.
Due to the countless number of venomous snakes living on the island, camping is not allowed here. All employees located on the island move along the street in high boots, in order to avoid unwanted bites. Of course, you will not need boots in the rooms and on the beaches.
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A Norwegian paradise for prisoners, the place where the hero of the novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" served his sentence, prisoner winemakers - all this and much more in a selection of the most famous prison islands in the world.
12 km from Cape Town is an island that is listed world heritage UNESCO.
However, there are no ancient ruins or unique buildings on Robben, except for the gloomy prison building in which the museum now operates.
The former prison is notable for the fact that during the years of apartheid, numerous political prisoners languished behind bars, among whom the first black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela (from 1962 to 1990), served his 28-year term.
Today this prison has become museum complex where there are regular tours.
Gorgona is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, part of the Tuscan archipelago.
In a maximum security colony, the Gorgon grape variety is grown for the Marchesi de Frescobaldi winery with a 700-year history. An unusual "collaboration" began last year. Almost 3,000 bottles were produced from the first harvest.
It is noteworthy that this project was partially funded by the Ministry of Justice, and after the “winemakers” serve their sentence, the company promised to hire them.
The Princes' Islands are a group of nine islands off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, in the Sea of Marmara. On the archipelago, consisting of 9 islands, car traffic is prohibited today and it is customary to take a break from noisy Istanbul. It's kind of suburban village metropolis.
And in Byzantine times and later Ottoman Empire princes and relatives of the sultans were exiled to these islands, for which the archipelago got its current name.
Small stone island off the coast of Marseille became popular thanks to the famous French writer Alexandre Dumas.
It is here that the guards bring the protagonist of the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes, to serve a long term on false charges.
The former fort was transformed into a prison, in which especially dangerous criminals were hidden from the end of the 16th century. Since the closing of the prison (1890), the castle has become one of the main places for visiting guests of Marseille.
1. Alcatraz, USA. One of the most famous places the detention of criminals is located in the San Francisco Bay. From Spanish, the name of the island means "pelican". It was given to the island by the discoverer Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775 because of the abundance of pelicans in this place. Throughout its history, Alcatraz has been a fort, a fortress and, finally, a prison where especially dangerous criminals served their sentences. Not a single prisoner managed to leave the island alive: a strong current and the vigilance of the guards interfered. After 29 years of existence, the prison was closed by order of US Attorney General Robert Kennedy (brother of President John F. Kennedy) on March 21, 1963. The walls of the dungeon preserved not only traces of the harsh everyday life of prisoners, but also colorful drawings of Indians who settled in ownerless premises in 1969. You can learn about the unusual inhabitants and legendary captives of the island, such as Al Capone, in the museum, which has been open on Alcatraz for 45 years.
2 Robben Island Prison, South Africa. 12 km from Cape Town is an island that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, there are no ancient ruins or unique buildings on Robben, except for the gloomy prison building in which the museum now operates. The former prison is notable for the fact that during the years of apartheid, numerous political prisoners languished behind bars, among whom the first black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela (from 1962 to 1990), served his 28-year term. Today, this prison has turned into a museum complex, where excursions are constantly held.
3. Gorgon Island, Italy. On the smallest and northernmost island of the Tuscan archipelago, prisoners are serving their sentences, who are engaged in winemaking as part of corrective labor. In a maximum security colony, the Gorgon grape variety is grown for the Marchesi de Frescobaldi winery with a 700-year history. An unusual "collaboration" began last year. Almost 3000 bottles were produced from the first harvest. It is noteworthy that this project was partially funded by the Ministry of Justice, and after the “winemakers” serve their sentence, the company promised to hire them.
4. Princes' Islands, Türkiye. On the archipelago, consisting of 9 islands, car traffic is prohibited today and it is customary to take a break from noisy Istanbul. And during the Byzantine and later Ottoman Empire, princes and relatives of the sultans were exiled to these islands, for which the archipelago got its current name.
5. Isle of If, France. A small stone island off the coast of Marseille became popular thanks to the famous French writer Alexandre Dumas. It is here that the guards bring the protagonist of the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes, to serve a long term on false charges. The former fort was transformed into a prison, in which especially dangerous criminals were hidden from the end of the 16th century. Since the closing of the prison (1890), the castle has become one of the main places for visiting guests of Marseille.
6. Bastoy Island, Norway. This country is famous for its humane treatment of prisoners and creates comfortable conditions for them to stay in custody, but the prison on Bastoy Island has exceeded all expectations. Prisoners do not live in cells, but in separate rooms in cozy wooden houses for six people. They can freely move around the territory, fish and even swim in the fjord. Prisoners can also play tennis and visit the sauna. As for work: the working day of prisoners lasts from 8:30 to 15:30.
7. Solovetsky Islands, Russia. Even today get to Solovetsky Islands, largest archipelago White Sea, hard, and before Solovki was considered the end of the world. As early as the 15th century, this archipelago was chosen by the monks, who in the 17th century were the first to use the monastery premises to imprison the disobedient. Their traditions were adopted by the Soviet government, under which in the 20s of the last century, the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp was launched on the archipelago. Its prisoners participated in the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal. The prison, established in 1937, was liquidated 2 years later. Today Solovetsky archipelago became a state museum-reserve.
